ALA: Core titles list

The Good Comics for Kids team was at the American Library Association meeting in Washington, DC, last weekend, and on Sunday, June 27, we presented a panel titled “Good Comics for Kids.” I’m happy to say that over 100 people attended the hour-and-a-half session and the vast majority stayed until the last question was answered. We handed out a list of core titles at the presentation, and at the request of several people, we are posting them here as well. We have added ISBNs for some titles for your convenience.

MangaThe Big Adventures of Majoko by Tomomi Mizuna. Volumes 1-5 of 5 available in English. (Udon)Fairy Idol Kanon by Mera Hakamada. Volumes 1-4 of 4 available in English. (Udon)Ninja Baseball Kyuma by Shunshin Maeda. Volumes 1-3 of 3 available in English. (Udon)Swans in Space by Lun Lun Yamamoto. Volumes 1-3 of 3 available in English. (Udon)

MangaBaron the Cat Returns by Aoi Hiiragi. Volume 1 of 1 available in English. (VIZ)The Big Adventures of Majoko by Tomomi Mizuna. Volumes 1-5 of 5 available in English. (Udon)COWA! by Akira Toriyama. Volume 1 of 1 available in English. (VIZ)Dinosaur Hour by Hitoshi Shioya. Volume 1 of ongoing series available in English. (VIZ)Dragon Drive by Ken-ichi Sakura. Volumes 1-14 of 14 available in English. (VIZ)Fairy Idol Kanon by Mera Hakamada. Volumes 1-4 of 4 available in English. (Udon)Happy Happy Clover by Sayuri Tatsuyama. Volumes 1-5 of 5 available in English. (VIZ)Leave it to PET by Kenji Sonishi. Volumes 1-4 of 4 available in English. (VIZ)Ninja Baseball Kyuma by Shunshin Maeda. Volumes 1-3 of 3 available in English. (Udon)Pokemon Adventures by Hidenori Kusaka. Volumes 1-8 of 10 available in English. (VIZ)Swans in Space by Lun Lun Yamamoto. Volumes 1-3 of 3 available in English. (Udon)Yotsuba&! by Azuma Kiyohiko. Volumes 1-8 of ongoing series available in English. (Yen Press)

MangaBeet the Vandel Buster by Riku Sanju. Volumes 1-12 of 12 available in English. (VIZ)Cardcaptor Sakura by CLAMP. Volume 1 of 4 available in English. (Dark Horse)DragonBall Z by Akira Toriyama. Volumes 1-26 of 26 available in English. (VIZ)From Far Away by Kyoko Hikawa. Volumes 1-14 of 14 available in English. (VIZ)Goong: The Royal Palace by Park So Hee Volumes 1-8 of 16 available in English (Yen Press)Hikaru No Go by Yumi Hotta and Takeshi Obata. Volumes 1-19 of 23 available in English. (VIZ)The Prince of Tennis by Takeshi Konomi. Volumes 1-38 of 42 available in English. (VIZ)Sandland by Akira Toriyama. Volume 1 of 1 available in English. (VIZ)Sugar Princess: Skating to Win by Hisaya Nakajo. Volumes 1-2 of 2 available in English. (VIZ)Sugar Sugar Rune by Moyoco Anno. Volumes 1-8 of 8 available in English. (Del Rey)Ultra Maniac by Wataru Yoshizumi. Volumes 1-5 of 5 available in English. (VIZ)Whistle! by Daisuke Higuchi. Volumes 1-24 of 24 available in English. (VIZ)

**********

REVIEW SOURCES AND SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Booklist
–Review journal of the American Library Association
–Published 22 times per year
–Recommendation only: all titles reviewed in Booklist are recommended for library purchase
–Print subscriptions available for $109.95 for one year

New York Times Bestseller List
–Three lists: Hardcover Graphic Books, Paperback Graphic Books, and Manga
–Indicates sales from a variety of sources, including bookstores, online stores, and more
–NOT divided by level or reviewed

School Library Journal
–Review journal for librarians and educators who work with children and young adults.
–Also contains articles, news, and more
–Print subscriptions start at $136.99/year
–Website includes blogs, articles, and news

VOYA: Voice of Youth Advocates
–Review journal for librarians and teachers who work with teens (ages 12-18)
–Has reviews, articles, booklists, and more
–Print subscriptions start at $36.95/year
–Website includes articles, booklists, and information about magazine’s contents

Brigid Alverson, the editor of the Good Comics for Kids blog, has been reading comics since she was 4. She has an MFA in printmaking and has worked as a book editor and a newspaper reporter; now she is assistant to the mayor of Melrose, Massachusetts. In addition to editing GC4K, she writes about comics and graphic novels at MangaBlog, SLJTeen, Publishers Weekly Comics World, Comic Book Resources, MTV Geek, and Good E-Reader.com. Brigid is married to a physicist and has two daughters in college, which is why she writes so much. She was a judge for the 2012 Eisner Awards.

About Good Comics For Kids

We are a group of librarians, parents, and writers--and most of us wear at least two of those hats--who started writing about kids' comics in 2008 because, well, nobody else was. We like everything from Literary Graphic Novels to blatantly commercial (but fun!) licensed properties. And we don't lump all ages together; we're smart enough to know that a three-year-old has different abilities and interests than a 13-year-old.

Our goal is to cover kids' comics (for readers from birth to age 16) with both breadth and depth, through a mix of news, reviews, interviews, and previews, and to be both accessible to casual readers and interesting enough for serious fans.